Recall Initiative
by Nemrut
Summary: Angela always had conflicted feelings about the downfall of Overwatch. When she received the recall signal from Winston and then the summons from Zurich, she knew her current life was over, for better or for worse.
1. Chapter 1

Thanks to Lecos for looking this over and his input.

* * *

 _It doesn't fit me anymore._

Angela wasn't sure if it was the dress itself or what it meant, what it represented.

"Are you ready, Dr. Ziegler?" asked the young attendant waiting outside of the bathroom of her hotel accommodations. She was maybe twenty-two at most, exceedingly polite and pretty in the way all visible staff in high end hotels and restaurants were, with her short red hair, green eyes and athletic frame.

"Yes," Angela replied, letting her eyes wander one more time over her own image in the mirror. She had already been at the resident coiffeur to manage her hair and put on her make-up. It was fancier than usual, more elaborate, using products she only recognized from the brand but which were no doubt slightly better and vastly more expensive than when she had last had the opportunity to shop for them.

It felt…good, to indulge in that again. She had missed it, of a sort. Sure, as a daily ritual, it was bothersome and time-consuming but she had enjoyed the results it brought and she still did.

 _You look the same_ , her gaze was almost accusing at her reflection, _but it's a lie._

"You look gorgeous, doctor," the attendant said, now standing in the bathroom. Angela hadn't heard her entering, lost in her thoughts. She was smiling, and it almost managed to fool her. She could let it, it wouldn't take much to convince herself and buy into this, the false affection and respect that the people had been showering her with in the last two days, ever since she had gotten off the plane from Najaf.

But she knew better.

"Thank you," Angela replied, her smile was just as fake as the attendants but more convincing if only because she had more experience with hers. She had been acting ever since her parents died, nearly thirty years ago, this girl had at the most a decade under her belt.

"It's mostly through your combined efforts, though, I assure you."

A weak smile flashed on the attendants lips. "Do you need anything more before you're ready?"

 _A car to get me out of here._ She couldn't say that, of course. She grabbed the small, stylish handbag the same crimson as her dress. "Nothing comes to mind, dear."

When she stepped out of the bath, her eyes travelled to the large piece of luggage at the right of her bed. She wondered how many would try to get it this time. She wasn't too worried about it being stolen. The brightest minds of Overwatch in its prime (her own very much included) had worked to make a mobile container for her technology that protected it from anyone who wasn't her. Several different branches of technology worked together to make for a security system that absolutely depended on her fingerprints, her biomagnetic field and the unique nanobots in her own body to be accessed or get destroyed.

All her equipment did, even the caduceus blaster stored in her handbag.

Anything else was carelessness. Angela hated violence but her tech was too dangerous in other people's hands and to protect that, she was forced and ready to employ somewhat violent means

And if that wasn't the line of reasoning that had gotten Overwatch and her into trouble, she didn't know what was.

"We can make our fashionably late entrance now."

The attendant, Anne, nodded and opened the door. Leading her to the elevators and then to the ballroom that was already filled to the brim with the important and rich people that had found the time to travel to Zürich.

It was the sort of gathering she would have loved six years ago, whenever she found the time away from her laboratory and fieldwork to do the public parts of her job. As the leader of the medical division of Overwatch, responsible for research and medical care, she had been one of the higher ranking members of the organization and had been expected to mingle with others, to meet them and convince them of Overwatch's noble goals and intentions and win their monetary and political support.

She had enjoyed that, meeting people on occasions like this. In expensive locations, wearing expensive clothes, all these people hanging on her every word, vying for her attention.

In a lot of ways, while she certainly hadn't been the face or voice of Overwatch in an official sense, she had been the member the politically important people had known best. None of the others had enjoyed these things, in fact most of them had hated it.

Unlike her.

No, for all their expertize on normal battlefields, all of them had been out of their depth on those that weren't fought with guns and grenades.

Still, of them all, it had still been Reyes companionship she had preferred most at functions like this.

He had been a good dancer and an even better gossip to insult others with.

Now, though, she was alone where she once had been as comfortable as she had been in the operating room. Once.

Now, she heard the murmurs, the snide comments, the whispers about her, about her failures, about Overwatch.

It made her bristle but she didn't let anything show on her face. Angela, alongside Overwatch, had been on a pedestal and once that pedestal came crashing down, she was fair game for all those who had resented her.

Her designer dress was out of fashion, she appeared on such a social function alone and everyone knew she had been practically in a self-inflicted exile ever since her trials.

She flashed everyone a bright smile, and took a confident step in the room.

"Dr. Ziegler!" came the enthusiastic voice of a young man she didn't know, dressed in an expensive tuxedo with an ugly bright yellow tie. "What an honor to meet you again."

"I confess, that's something I didn't expect to hear tonight," Angela said shaking his hand, watching as he let out a short laugh. He was maybe a few years younger than her, tanned, in good shape with brown hair and eyes. He was clean shaven and while not classically handsome, he did have some charm to him.

If she had met him before, which could be true, but didn't have to be, more than a few people had pretended to know her, he certainly hadn't made an impression on her.

"You most likely don't remember me, but you had given a guest lecture at Stanfort University in 65. I was one of the students there. Raymund Green."

"I hope it was as enlightening to you as it was enjoyable for me," Angela replied, trying to remember what the subject of that lecture had been. She had given so many of them during her decade in Overwatch, she couldn't exactly remember which one had been which.

"Oh yes, it was life-changing!" his grin was wide and his voice carried more than he probably wanted. "But I'm afraid, we can't talk about that much more, your presence is eagerly awaited over there."

There it was, the reason for her invitation.

"Of course, darling, why don't you show me the way?"

"Certainly!" he was grinning and Angela wasn't certain whether he was genuinely that delighted or if he had a very strange notion on human interaction.

Then again, she wouldn't put it beyond them to have her guide be a buffoon, just to show her how much contempt they still held for her.

The word traitor had been thrown around more than once during her trial.

 _Reyes would have had his fun with this one._

He led her to a corner of the ballroom, where one table was secluded from the rest of the room and surrounded by five tall, well-build soldiers in their dress uniforms, who parted to let her, and only her, approach the table.

Sitting at the table were three figures, one woman, two men. Chief of the Armed Forces Korpskommandant Lea Bixel, Korpskommandant Hakan Reif and Dr. Nicolas Diesler.

Familiar faces, all three of them.

"You're late, Miss Ziegler," said the man in the suit, Dr. Diesler, his expression the same frown that she had seen the last time they had met during her trial, "we expected you twenty minutes ago."

Angela took the free seat on the other side of the table, facing all three.

"That's unfortunate, Mr. Diesler." His frown shifted to an irritated glare at that, the wrinkles in his aged face became even starker.

 _If you deny my title, I'll deny yours, you miserable old fossil. Not that you are worthy of it._

Before he could answer, Bixel interjected. "I'm too busy to listen to the two of you passive-aggressively insult each other. Ziegler, I'll get straight to the point. Five days ago, Dr. Winston sent a message to all previous members of Overwatch. It was brief but we decoded enough of it to gather that it was a recall notice. Coupled with the rising omnic tensions and Talon getting bolder as well, the last thing the world needs is Overwatch getting back to their old shenanigans again. What the hell is going on?"

Bixel was in her mid-sixties, her short, blonde hair had long since turned gray but her blue eyes were still as expressive as they had been twenty years ago, back when she had been an oberstleutnant who had handled Angela's initial involvement with Overwatch. She had been her liaison between the Swiss government, army and Overwatch, she had been her handler during the two-month boot camp she had to undergo before she could sign up as a member of the elite paramilitary organization that was Overwatch and she had been the person in charge of her detainment when everything had fallen apart.

Angela shrugged, "All I got was the same signal on the old transmitter. I haven't responded, nor do I plan to."

Diesler snorted, "A likely story, Ziegler. Are we expected to believe that you wouldn't join your old accomplices?"

Angela smiled, although there was nothing friendly about it. "Really, darling, I'm curious. Did you do anything else outside of nursing that petty grudge of yours?"

Reif, the youngest of trio but still Angela's senior of twenty-two years, who had light brownish skin, a thick beard and the frame of a former boxer, ignored the biting comments.

"Have you had any contact with former members of Overwatch during the last six years?" he asked, his voice unnervingly silent.

Angela had to think a moment. "I haven't seen any of the main agents or operatives, if that's what you mean. My current pilot is a former Overwatch pilot, and I did encounter the odd former low level technician or medical assistant over the years here and there. Overwatch did recruit from all over the world and I've been intensively traveling. Of course, I also took a few of my immediate subordinates with me to my private firm and am grateful for their loyalty and expertize. But from the old leadership or main team, I haven't had any contact with anyone, outside that one signal that you also received."

"So, you wouldn't mind if we gave Ziegler Industries another visit, just to make sure things are really as you say?" asked Diesler.

"My lawyers will be eagerly waiting to discuss any such disruptive, ill-advised steps, I assure you."

Angela had to learn the value of a good lawyer the hard way, early in her youth. It remained to be one of the most important lessons of her life. She resented the fact that so much money that could have gone to helping people went to lawyers instead but they were unfortunately quite necessary.

 _Also, there is something immensely satisfying about suing some degenerate like Diesler._

"And I gather that you are still unable to recreate my research if you are that desperate to once more invade my company to pry out the secrets of your betters? Really, you're no Prometheus, this fire would just burn you."

"Don't flatter yourself, Ziegler. With nothing but blind luck you've stumbled on lightning in a bottle as a teenager and you have been milking that ever since but your every single action since then betray you for being the arrogant narcissist that you are. Hoarding it for yourself, styling yourself after an angel. Donning a tacky halo and wings doesn't make you a divine creature, Mercy." He spat her code name. "The names you gave to yourself and your inventions just expose you as an attention seeking glory hound who refuses to hold herself accountable. You are as arrogant now as you were six years ago when you refused to come to your hearing!"

 _My, my, he's still so very bitter about that, isn't he?_

A week after the Overwatch trials in the UN had been over, the Swiss Medical Association, no doubt on the urging of Diesler, had scheduled a trial to determine whether or not Angela would be allowed to keep her doctorate and medical license but she simply hadn't showed up, instead taking the first plane to Asia, to start helping people there. That had been six years ago and so far, she hadn't had any troubles on that front, travelling from country to country, to heal and help.

"I am so terribly sorry to have missed out on your kangaroo court bu-"

"Enough!" snapped Bixel, slamming her open palm on the table, rattling the glasses on it. "I hate repeating myself. Diesler, be silent." The broad, red haired man in the impeccable uniform of a chefadjuntant standing behind her handed her a folder which she opened, revealing the photos of her old comrades.

"We know Dr. Winston is still holed up in the facility that once was Watchpoint: Gibraltar, for which he has permission by the UN. The location of agents Kimiko and Miremba are also accounted for and are now under surveillance. We also know Lindholm is wandering the globe, tracking down those inventions of his that were supposed to be stolen, albeit no one quite knows where he is now or what equipment of his is actually missing. He was briefly seen new St. Petersburg a while ago, fighting some sort of giant omnic."

 _I knew this would happen. I wish I wouldn't have to say I told you so on this as well._

"Oxton is running around as a vigilante, fancying herself a hero. Luckily for her, she has a certain popularity with the populous and is not particularly destructive and her interventions are generally for the better so the British government lets her be. She also did some mercenary jobs here and there but for no one significant."

Angela smiled slightly at that. _How typical of her._

"Which leaves us with agents McCree, Shimada, and even that stubborn old goat Wilhelm. And of course you, Ziegler. You were ranked higher than any of those. Chances were high that you would have taken over the reins once the Amari, Reyes and Morrison trio had left. After the mess in Zurich, you were the de facto leader who signed Overwatch's dismantlement. Which makes us question your level of involvement with the remnants of Overwatch."

"A question I just answered. Showing me pictures of people I have worked with for years doesn't exactly change the fact that I did not see them ever since the trials. Some even before that. Agent Shimada had left years before that, for example. Same with Reinhardt. He retired a few years before the end."

"They were your friends and colleagues, weren't they?" asked Reif, folding his hands together on the table. "You worked with some of them for over a decade. And you mean to tell us that from one day to another, you've cut off all contact with them?"

 _We didn't exactly part on amiable terms._

"Why yes, that's exactly what I meant to tell you. It was all such unpleasant business, I think we all wanted to put it behind us and so we did. Everyone went their own way, afterwards."

"You didn't try to keep up with anyone? Know what any of them were doing?"

Angela had done that, of course. She had tried to keep tabs on some of them. Precious Lena, for example, she had checked plenty of times and on the day of her departure, she had given her a special communicator which would be able to reach her at any and all times, if there ever was an emergency regarding her chronal accelerator. She had similarly given one to Winston, if he ever needed her help with Lena again.

It had been only for that and she was satisfied that Winston had respected her word on that enough that he had not tried to make contact over that.

"Not really. As I said earlier, Shimada had left years ago. Reinhardt was forced to retire and last I heard he was travelling. I knew Winston remained in Gibralter and further worked on his research. I don't know about the rest."

Reif tapped on McCree's picture. "He was seen involved in a train robbery in the United States."

Angela laughed, "Are you saying I ordered McCree to rob a train?"

"We're not going that far. Eye witness accounts are uncertain but general consensus seems to be that he prevented it. That, Dr. Ziegler, we could see you ordering. Especially since that train was transporting a few crates of your nanobot paste."

"There are quite a few hospitals all over the world that are supplied by Ziegler Industries. I'm afraid even at its heyday, Overwatch wouldn't have had the necessary personal to safeguard each and every one of them. Coincidences do happen, korpskommandant and I'd say this was merely one of them."

Reif pulled another set of pictures from the folder, this time one taken by a security camera, showing Winston and Lena engaged in combat with Reyes and Amelié in some sort of museum. "I'm not surprised you haven't heard of this one, it was fairly recent, after all. It happened yesterday, in the Numbani Overwatch Museum."

"I'm sure you recognize a few of your friends, on both sides of the conflict," Diesler mocked, which made Angela flush with anger for the first time this evening, her glare focusing on him.

"That poor woman was kidnapped, tortured, brainwashed and experimented on simply because her husband was doing his duty to keep degenerates like you safe and if you can't muster up the basic human decency to treat her tragic fate with the compassion and respect it deserves, I'd at least appreciate it if you'd keep your filthy, disgusting thoughts about it to yourself, Dreisler!" Angela snapped, her voice now loud enough to be heard by the whole soldier guard around their table and maybe even a few curious party guests who were lingering nearby in the hopes of snatching up a few pieces of interesting gossip.

"Ziegler!" growled Bixel, all the warning necessary compressed into that one word. Dreisler, meanwhile, had turned and interesting shade of red and looked as if he was tempted to lunge over the table and throttle her.

She was hoping for it.

Angela detested violence, but she also detested colonoscopies and yet both were necessary from time to time and she would have liked nothing more than to hear that satisfying crunch of his nose breaking.

 _Something good would have come from this waste of an evening, at least._

There was a reason the knuckles of the gauntlets of her Valkyrie suit also had an extra layer of titanium plates. Angela would never win a martial arts tourney, or score particularly high in the rankings but she had seen her fare of combat and violence. More than Dreisler ever had.

 _I really regret not destroying his career when I had the chance._

"The point being, Dr. Ziegler, the recall, the museum incident which has two former Overwatch agents fight together, McCree on the train in the States, Lindholm's appearance in Russia, this shadowy figure reading former Overwatch storage units and there are even rumors that Oxton may have been on the scene during the assassination of Mondetta. All of this has the UN very concerned. And for better or for worse, you are the highest ranking person we have eyes on, so we'd like some answers."

"In that case, I'm so gushingly glad that this has been an immense waste of time for all of us and not just me. I'm unable to understand what's so difficult to comprehend about the fact that I have been busy helping people in Asia and the Middle East for the past six years, with the occasional visit to Zurich, which I'm sure you kept a close eye on. So, I have nothing to tell you, since I have no involvement with whatever is going on." Angela pointed at her fellow doctor. "Unlike Dreisler here, I'm actually busy healing people and don't have the time to wallow in past grudges, so I'd appreciate it if you could abstain from contacting me again for things like this and simply have my lawyers tell you off. Lovely Annika has gotten so good at it, it's always a delight when I read her account on things."

"You realize that it is the very committee that you have such a strong disdain for that you still have a medical license, don't you, Dr. Ziegler?" Reif spoke up, his blank face meeting hers.

"Are you talking about Dreisler's pointless hearing?"

"The very same, doctor. It has been only due to our intervention and appeal that you have kept it."

"A touching gesture, I'm sure and not at all self-serving. The second you take away my license, I'd be showered by offers from medical schools from all over the world to grant me a title from them. Whether I have a title or not, I'm still the best medical doctor alive, korpskommandant. Even your little toad here will find that hard to deny, no matter how much he desperately wishes otherwise."

That had been the final straw for Dreisler as he jumped up hard enough to push over the chair he was sitting on and slammed both hands on the table with enough force to make all glasses fall, glowering over her.

"You're a disgrace to the medical profession, Ziegler!" he roared, "A criminal! I've seen your files, I've seen parts of your research and I've heard reports from former assistants and consultants. And I know that you never quit that criminal organization of misfits and murderers of yours. And one day, mark my words, I will make you pay for your arrogance."

"Have you now? Is that why I've never been arrested for those supposed crimes?"

"You've been lucky so far, Ziegler. It's only a matter of time before you slip up, and I'll be there. When your crimes will be revealed for all to see."

"How has your wife taken to the fact that you're spending all your time ranting about me? From the missing ring on your finger, I can only assume it wasn't all that well, and who can blame the poor dear? Really, I'm almost sorry. A poor doctor and a poor husband as well, you're lucky you're such a good lickspittle to the right people."

He was gritting his teeth now, when suddenly two of the soldiers stepped up, each putting a hand on his shoulder, and steered him away from the table. By now, a good chunk of the party, the elite of Zurich, were staring at them. Reif was looking as unflappable as ever whereas Bixel, while still no doubt angry, was also looking as if she would rather be anywhere else than here.

"You're not making this easy, Angela," she said after a long sigh.

"If you wanted easy, you wouldn't have invited our charming little friend to this precious tête-à-tête, so don't wholly blame me. I can only accept so much of it after that."

"I had hoped those six years in exile would have tempered that tongue of yours, but here we are, not even seven hours back home and you already made a troublesome enemy. That ox is still the director of the Swiss Medical Association and he has many friends in the government. You're not twenty anymore, nor do you have anyone's goodwill."

"He had always been my enemy but if I have to suffer the indignity of having to sit at the same table as him, I'd rather have him know his place. Truly, what madness possessed you to do such a thing? This couldn't have come as a surprise. He has been jealous of me since I was still in puberty."

"The Federal Chancellor insisted," said Reif, "something about an unbiased source during this interview from the medical community who can truly understand any eventual leanings into the field that may come up during this talk."

Angela let out a quick laugh, "Oh my, that's a bit of optimism if I have ever seen it."

"He is an optimist, among other things," said Bixel, "concerned about Overwatch is one of them."

The smile vanished from Angela's face. "Did I stop speaking German or is there another reason as to why it seems to escape your grasp that I have not been in contact with anyone. Do you wish for me to play it out via charades? Will that satisfy you?"

"While we can't prove that you've had any contact, to do so in so many different foreign countries is difficult after all, let's just say that I have faith in your ability to make do even without that. You were close to Oxton and Dr. Winston, I can't imagine that you went six years without speaking a word to either of them."

"Lucky for you, you don't have to, for it already happened. Well, if you excuse me, it's late and I really have better things to do than answer the same asinine question again and again."

"That was no empty threat, by the way," Reif interjected again, reaching for a document from his folder and putting it on the table and pushed it towards Angela. "What you say is correct, or at least it was, six years ago. Even a month ago. But all this recent business with Overwatch has a lot of people nervous, Dr. Ziegler, especially about your involvement. People were happy that you are busy in some shithole, fixing up a few poor souls all day but they get queasy thinking about you working with Overwatch again. On this document you will find a declaration that you will be stripped of your medical license on a global scale, should our courts decide to so. It has been recognized and signed by all major countries **.** You see, you may very well be the brightest medical mind alive, maybe even ever if that helps you sleep at night, but it means nothing in the face of reality."

That had shocked Angela and she knew it was visible on her face.

"Well, it seems I'm not the only one who came tonight to make enemies."

"I hate to quote you, but we were already enemies. You just needed to learn your place."

"That couldn't have been easy," she said, after twenty seconds of silence, of reading and rereading the document. "I guess I have to congratulate you on your networking and at your dedication of denying people my help."

"Don't be melodramatic, Angela, it doesn't suit you."

"Well, I can't deny that this will make my life more challenging, but it's hardly the checkmate you think it is. People always need help and would be more than willing to accept it from me. Call it arrogance all you want but you could nail this piece of paper at the entrance doors of every hospital in the world and every single one of them would let me walk through the very same gates and perform operations on those they had given up hope on. I have spent every day of my life ever since I received my medical degree with fifteen saving people and I won't stop now."

"Yes," agreed Bixel, "there is that. And you know why, Angela? Because of your reputation. Because of your image that you have been oh so carefully crafting ever since I met you all those years ago. The way you talk, the way you look. Don't think I don't recognize that you had some work done on yourself. Your ridiculous armor, the halo, your name, all of that deliberate and I can't say it hasn't worked. Even now, years after your disgrace, people still like you. I guess a fallen angel is still an angel."

Reif took over, "And we will destroy that image. That baboon that just walked out of here is just one such person who would love nothing more than to drag your name through the papers with all kinds of scandals and accusations and we have dozens of him. All of them hate you. Former employees, colleagues, business-people, politicians and religious figures, all of them united in their hatred, all of them given a voice and a platform to be heard. And unlike our friend, those you won't be able to deal with quite so easily."

"All that will remain of the so called Angel of Mercy will be an arrogant, immoral washed up has-been who has committed amoral scientific acts and the only people you will be able to diagnose will be your cell-mates."

Angela was silent, the words hitting her harder than she would have liked. She knew Bixel and Reif, they didn't have the habit of making empty threats and while she had faith in herself and her legal support, she didn't quite believe she could withstand a government sanctioned witch-hunt that easily. Not something of that scale.

She would rather cut off an arm than let them see that, of course.

"You must remember our times together differently if you had convinced yourselves that I was going to cave at a threat like that. Not to mention it's utterly pointless."

"You are being obstinate, Angela, stop it. This doesn't need to go down this way. Just tell us what we want to know."

Raw anger was pulsing through her veins. "I told you what I know!" Angela snarled, "and you are more than trying my patience with your insistence that I am lying. What does it take to get through that skull of yours that I truly had no contact with Overwatch, nor am I conspiring in bringing it back!"

"Proof, Dr. Ziegler. Proof."

"How do you expect me to prove something like that?"

"Well, Angela, I'd think it would be rather convincing that you are truly beyond Overwatch by now if you were the one who could expose those trying to reform Overwatch to the UN."

Realization dawned onto Angela, and her scowl intensified. "You disgust me, korpskommandant, both of you do. Overwatch and I had not what I'd call a pleasant divorce, but I have no desire to do something as distasteful as that to any one of my former colleagues."

"And yet, if you want to keep your medical license, your firm, what's left of your reputation and even your freedom, you'll do this, Angela. Believe me, it doesn't bring me any pleasure, but needs must and we must stop Overwatch from messing this delicate situation more than it already is. Clashes with omnics are happening daily all over the globe and it's getting worse. Talon is but one of the many organizations that seek to destabilize the status quo, even though it may be the most dangerous. That's not to mention what various nations and powerful individuals are planning to use this unrest to further their own ambition. We cannot allow a controversial force such as Overwatch to split up our resources and attention even further. We don't even want to necessarily arrest anyone, if that is what you are concerned about. Why would we? What does the world gain from imprisoning such astonishing minds such as Dr. Winston or Lindhelm or you, Angela? Quite frankly, we don't want you behind bars, what a waste that would be. Even more so than you already wasting your time and energy on a few hundred nobodies at hellholes when you could help millions by sharing your technology more freely. We just want all those people, you included, to work directly with government or military oversight."

"Threats and a desperate attempt to force me, and others, to hand over my technology so a military organization can use it to create more weapons, how novel."

By now, Angela was shaking with fury, but with deep breaths, she was managing to calm herself down, knowing how much in the public eye she was right now.

 _So much time has passed, so little has changed._

"Well, I believe we had a conversation similar to this quite a few times over the last twenty years, and since my answer hasn't changed since then and I have repeated myself enough this evening, I will say good night."

"Very well, Dr. Ziegler, you'll have a few days, to mull things over but don't take too long, that trial can convene in three days and unfortunately for you, you can't just skip this one. You're not allowed to leave the country for the next week."

"Make the right decision this time, Angela. You're not a child anymore."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Angela said and walked away, feeling their stares until she passed through the doors. "I always do."

*oberstleutnant – lieutenant colonel

*korpskommandant – lieutenant general

*chefadjutant – Warrant officer class 1


	2. Chapter 2

The night had gone in almost a haze. She had returned to her room in the hotel, had packed up her stuff and a car had brought her to her small mansion in the outskirts of the town.

From then on, she had spent the rest of the night making the odd phone call and writing a flurry of emails to various lawyers, legal advisors and people of importance on whose support she thought she could count or who at least owed her a favor.

Her refusal to open her nanotechnology for weaponization had made her a lot of enemies, but she had saved too many lives for them to outnumber her friends.

 _And yet it doesn't look good._

Since it was after one in the morning, the number of people she could reach in Switzerland was limited and the news from those she could reach hadn't looked promising.

"You're telling me that ridiculous document is truly legitimate?"

"Yes, ma'am," replied the tired voice of Sandra Holtz. Ten years her junior, long, curly black hair, a mousy face and a hardworking member of the ministry of justice, she had the required access to check on decrees like this that had been formally handed into the system. "I checked and rechecked. It has been approved by several minsters and the chancellor himself." Angela could hear her rubbing her eye. "The national stuff is legit. You'll be arrested, declared a traitor and terrorist and all your holdings and offices will be raided and ceased." She paused for a moment before continuing. "Can't really say anything about the international thing though. Doesn't really sound feasible. I mean, the claim that every nation, even if we go by the meaning of every nation that matters, well, that's a difficult pill to swallow. Doesn't really make sense, really. Can't think that the two things they all agree on are the Geneva conventions and, well, you."

It didn't, and yet she had never seen Bixel make a threat she couldn't follow through. Then again, this might be why she might get away with it once or twice.

"We'll see in the coming days, it seems. Thank you so much for your help, darling. I apologize once more for troubling you at this ghastly hour."

"Of course Dr. Ziegler, I'm always happy to help. Please call me any time you need."

"I'm afraid I'll have to take you up on that sooner than I'd like."

Sandra laughed. "Crazy shit." She paused for a few seconds, "Seriously though, this is seriously fucked up. They can't get away with this."

Sandra, for all her legal expertise, also only had limited experience with the more obstinate types of individuals that tended to be put in charge. Her advice on the frameworks of the legal code was invaluable as her knowledge there far exceeded Angela's, but she was still so young. Younger than Lena, still.

"Oh don't you worry, they won't," she assured her with far more confidence than she had, "This is hardly the first time someone tried to steal from me."

"I guess you're right," Sandra said before a yawn forced itself through. "I'm so sorry, Dr. Ziegler, I-"

But Angela laughed and cut her off, "Oh don't be silly Sandra, of course you're tired. I apologize again for bothering you at this ungodly hour but I simply couldn't wait. Thank you so much again."

"It really wasn't a problem but I think I've got to go now, really need to catch a bit of sleep before another early start today. I've sent you the mail."

"Of course, have a good rest. Thank you again."

And with that, she hung up and made a small note to get Sandra something for her help. It wasn't a small favor she had asked of the girl but she had needed the information. Opening the mail, revealed the full document for at least the Swiss part, revealing what they would accuse her over.

Maybe a few bottles of nice wine? Or an invitation to one of the more prestigious events she usually got tickets to? She still had a bit jewelry and various trinkets lying around in one of the saves in the house but she didn't remember of the top of her head what kind of things Sandra liked. She'd find something.

Reading a bit more of the document, she felt the unease in her stomach getting worse. There were quite a few things on it, some true, some not, but she supposed it wouldn't really matter. She didn't have the impression this would be a fair trial after all, so while she did forward this to her personal lawyer, she had a much more important call to make.

She buried her face in her hands and let out a long and deep sigh.

 _Fuck._

This was not how she had expected things to go. She had known that Overwatch had been problematic and divisive, especially towards its later years, but she hadn't quite grasped how truly feared it was.

Or, it was less about Overwatch and more about her, that the current situation was so dire, they needed every resource they could get their hands on and Angela's nanotechnology was one such resource.

In the face of human extinction, she might reconsider her stance, but unless that was proven to her, there was no chance in hell she would give anyone access to the core of her technology.

She fished for the cigarettes on her desk and lighted one. It was a habit from her student days, back when she had desperately wanted to appear older than thirteen when she had shared university classes with people who were mostly at least a decade older than her. When stressed, one would calm her down.

It's not like it was harmful to her, anyway.

"Greetings, Dr. Ziegler," a mechanical yet masculine voice suddenly interrupted her thought process and she jumped up, her cigarette falling on the desk, her eyes racing towards the voice, her hand grasping for the caduceus blaster lying on the table next to her phone and she pointed it right at the door.

Outside of her open office door, in the shadows of the hallway, stood the dark silhouette of a person. It stood relaxed and she couldn't discern who it was at all until lights in a green-yellowish hue appeared all over his body, including his visor, revealing his identity.

She would recognize this armor anywhere, she had helped build it after all.

"Genji!" To say she was surprised didn't even cover it. She didn't exactly part on amicable terms with the man. At the time, he had resented the role she had played in putting him into state that he was now and had expressed very clearly how much he had appreciated his life at that point, right before he cut ties with Overwatch. He had written her a letter, years later, expressing gratitude and apologies for his behavior and saying that he had come to peace with his new state, which she had immensely appreciated, but to appear like that in the middle of the night, so soon after coming back here. That didn't bode well.

She didn't lower her weapon.

"How can I help you?"

"Apologies for disturbing you at this hour, Dr. Ziegler," he started, his mechanical voice calm and soothing. He extended the palms of his hands, holding them up as he slowly stepped into the light of the room. The swords on his back remained untouched and Angela didn't saw any of the throwing stars they had built into his arms. Not that it mattered, his reflexes and aim far exceeded hers and he could produce his weapons and throw them in a heartbeat. "I assure you, we mean you no harm."

"We?"

Before Angela could ask more, a blue flash blazed past Genji and materialized right in front of her desk, revealing Lena, wearing those hideous orange leggings and her old fashioned short leather vest. The most eye-catching part of her, of course, was the chronal accelerator strapped to her chest, which still remained maybe the most sophisticated and amazing piece of technology Angela had personally seen.

"Parameter is clean, no one else's here and Angie here had already disarmed all listening devices already. Well done, love. Long time no see."

She lowered her weapon and let out a relieving sigh. If there was one thing she knew, it was that Lena would never do anything to intentionally cause her harm.

"You two just had to do this in such a way that made me age a few years."

"Sorry, Angie. Had to be sure we wouldn't be overheard and your place is so big, that it took a bit for me to check everywhere. It's not like you can't use a few years, though. Hope I'll look this good when I'm forty or fifty."

Angela laughed. "Thirty-seven but who's counting? My security system is exceptional, it registers all intruders and records their every move. Or so I believed before you two broke in as if this was a grocery store."

"It wasn't easy, let me tell ya. But we managed." Lena wasn't quite bragging, but she was amused. "Well, Genji managed. Blackwatch apparently taught a lot more on bypassing security systems than Overwatch did."

 _I'm honestly relieved that she seemingly didn't change all that much._

"Not that I'm not glad to see either one of you, but you two couldn't have come at a more inconvenient time for me. So, unless it's a medical emergency for one of you two, I would ask to leave as quickly as possible without anyone noticing. I like not being arrested. My lawyers charge exuberant sums for their work and I still need to eat from time to time."

Lena, her orange visor that protected her eyes now resting on her head, raised an eyebrow.

"That's why we're here, actually. To get you out of this."

 _Of course you are._

"I appreciate the concern, Lena, but I can assure you, it's quite unnecessary. I'm wholly capable to deal with this situation without becoming a fugitive and giving them reason to seize all my research and technology they can get their greedy claws on. "

"This is not a situation in which lawyers and the law will prevail, Dr. Ziegler. Your arrest is imminent and the motivations behind it are unclear," Genji said.

"But hiding in some hole will help?"

Lena was silent for a few seconds, a frown on her face. "Angie, you didn't react to the recall at all. We thought it was this business but…"

It was always hard for Angela to see Lena like this. Ever since her failure to help her when she needed her the most, it was difficult for her to allow Lena be sad.

A fact that Winston had no doubt picked up on, which is why he had ordered Lena and Genji, both former patients she had failed in different ways to come and fetch him.

 _That prick!_

"Look, I'm grateful that you two thought I needed help and yes, I won't lie, things aren't looking particularly good at the moment but I'm far from beaten. And I'm sorry, I won't be returning to Overwatch. I wouldn't even if I hadn't in this situation. Overwatch did some good but it had long passed its expiration date . There were good reasons for it shutting down and why it should remain like that."

The shock was written in Lena's face, her eyes wide, her mouth open. Genji was impossible to read due to his mechanic exterior and complete lack of facial cues.

"I don't understand why you seem so shocked, Lena. You were there when I signed the dissolution of Overwatch."

The shock on Lena's face was replaced by anger as she blinked forward, crossing the distance between the two in a flash, her hands gripping Angela by the shoulders, her glaring eyes meeting Angela's.

"You can't believe that! Are you saying that Overwatch can't help anyone anymore?"

"We weren't heroes, Lena! We were a paramilitary organization whose duties got more and more extensive and became something I wasn't exactly proud to be a member off any more."

"Blackwatch wasn't-"

Angela cut her off with an angry wave of her arm.

"I'm not talking about Blackwatch! Blackwatch, Blackwatch! Everyone is putting all the blame, all the attention on Blackwatch. Blackwatch was the least of its problems. I'm talking about how every research project we had, how all of our science divisions ultimately got ordered to focus on military applications for everything they made!" She shot Genji a glance. "Two of the results are standing here and the only reason we don't have more Tracers running around is because what happened was such a fluke, no one could replicate it and believe me, they tried."

"Dr. Ziegler," Genji began, stepping forward, putting a hand on Lena's shoulder, making her let go of Angela. "I don't believe the Overwatch we'll restart right now will have the ability or inclination to pursue those things."

"Not at the beginning, no." Angela admitted. "But for how long? I've seen plans that deeply concerned me. Plans that Morrison and Amari and Reyes had all signed off on. Plans like changing my nanobots to prevent healing, to attack any and all other nanobots in order to ensure that they died even if they were given medical care."

She took a deep breath. "That's the Overwatch you would be trying to recreate and that's not something I want to be part off."

"The world is in danger," Lena said. "Widowmaker killed Mondetta right in front of me. Talon has been putting pressure on the world and they 're getting away with it! We're the only people who can stop them. What you told me is horrible, Angela and I had no idea things had gotten that bad but we don't have a choice. We either step up and start to make things right or we allow people like Talon to triumph and that can't be good for anyone."

"And what would have me do, Lena?" Angela was glaring at the two, her hands crossed over her chest. "Follow you two out and then have the government overtake everything I have worked for since I was sixteen? How is that any better?"

"I want you to stop hiding!" Lena burst out. "I want you to stop running and fight! I want you to come back with us and lead!"

"Lead?" Angela's voice was a rasp but became sharper with each word. "Not only do you want me to come back, turn my back on all the patients I could heal, not only do you want me to forsake my life's work and allow every two-bit hack to tamper with my greatest achievement and condemn countless people to die because of that, you also want me to take personal responsibility for all of your lives and actions?"

"Yeah," Lena was blazing forward, "It's the perfect solution, isn't it? If you're worrying about Overwatch going down the wrong path, you'll just yank it towards the right one. We all know the big guy is just doing the leader thing until someone comes along who'll take the burden from him. He stepped up because he was the one who could initiate the recall. Heck, he already tried to foist things up to old man Reinhardt but he wasn't having it."

"It seems to be the best solution to all, Dr. Ziegler," added Genji, taking a few steps to stand beside Lena. "We would gain qualified leadership and the best medical mind alive and you would gain protection, help and the guarantee to never allow Overwatch to become something it was never meant to be."

"I had gotten guarantees and promises before and they hadn't mattered because I was lied to. What makes you think people won't do the same, simply because they believe me naïve and incapable of understanding what needs to be done? There'll always be a justification for actions such as this. Morrison never believed he was doing what he did for a bad purpose." She met Genji's visor with her gaze. "And I still haven't heard a solution to my government problem. I would be physically safe but I don't believe my health would be in any danger regardless of anything."

"You told me you had a failsafe, once."

Angela froze, her eyes bore into Lena's. "No," she said, her voice pure ice. "I never did. I never told anyone."

Lena attempted a weak smile. "Ah, now that you mention it, it might have been someone else."

Angela took a small step back, then another until she hit her desk. She sat down on it, not trusting her legs to carry her at the moment. Athena. It must have been Athena. Angela had liked the AI but she had never fully trusted her. Not because she was artificial but because of her reach and power into all manners of information that she had stored and that she would obey the orders of people higher in the chain of command than her.

She believed she had taken the necessary precautions. It shouldn't surprise her this much, she figured. Angela knew she was brilliant but she was also aware that she was not necessarily a programmer or hacker. She was smart and outstanding in her field but there plenty of people better than her in countless things.

Still, she had believed that that nugget of information would have been secure under all the fail saves.

But she had been compromised, maybe even for years. If Tracer even knew…

"Who else?" Angela croaked, her hands shaking.

"Who else what?" Lena asked hesitantly, confusion apparent in her voice.

"Who else knew of the failsafe!" she snapped. "Who told you in the first place?"

"Oh, well, the big guy told me. I don't know who else knows."

 _Morrison knew at the very least, then. Reyes maybe even. But both are dead. Did Reyes tell McCree?_

"When did he tell you?"

"Ahm, a few days ago? I think. Told me to tell you that the failsafe is good to go, yeah."

Angela didn't know what to say. She trusted Winston when he said that if she activated it, that it would work but what would be the point now? The original purpose was that it would affect all of her work but now she had learned that that system had been compromised for god knows how long and if Morrison had ordered Winston or Athena to save some for Overwatch for whatever purpose, those two would have done it.

Then again, if the only place was Overwatch, the place she was going to lead, with the three previous leaders out of the picture and herself in charge, it might not be as hopeless as she had feared.

Angela closed her eyes, took a deep breath, exhaled and opened them again. "You're aware that Talon won't be the only one who'll oppose us. Alongside whatever god program is lashing out again, we'll also have to contend with most of the worlds governments?"

Lena, seeing that Angela was at least considering it now, cheered up. "Well, yeah, but no one said being a hero was easy, yeah?"

"My concern would be more the fact that Winston is still in Watchpoint Gibraltar, right? And everyone knows he's there. And that if we want any kinds of facilities, we'd have to use that. So, lacking the resources to defend it, we'd be exposed to any unwanted and armed visitors. It would be just one big bullseye."

"Ah, yeah, Genji said the same thing." She pointed at Genji with her thumb. "Winston, Torb, Rein, Bianca and Jesse are packing as we speak."

Mercy smiled at that. "So, you pretty much got the old crew back together."

"Yeah, we did. Well, except for the fallen, of course." Lena's voice got sadder at that.

"What now?" she asked.

"Well, what do you want, Angie?. Do you want to come with us or are you going to take your chances here?"

"If I run now, my life, the shallow husk that it is, will be over. Everything 've built over my entire life will collapse. People will die if I do what I have to do but if I don't, and someone with unlimited access to everything does crack my protections, countless more might die."

"But if you stay, that might happen anyway and you'll be in prison."

"Maybe there is a way out," suggested Genji. "Have you ever heard the name Sombra?"

"I can't say I have, but please remember, darling, I've spent the last few years mostly off the grid."

Lena, meanwhile, was scowling which surprised Angela since she was usually such a bright soul. "Oh I know that bitch. She's a hacker who does all kinds of stuff. Works with a lot of criminals and terrorists. Well, she's one, so yeah. Stole from Winston. What do you want with her?"

"If we can procure her services, she could access Government records and put them out there. Public opinion would sway if they saw proof of their machinations and treachery. With that in the open, could they really persecute Dr. Ziegler as they intended?"

Angela leaned against her table, crossing her arms. After a few seconds, she reached for her cigarettes and lit one up, ignoring the old one that had gone out on her desk. She knew Tracer didn't smoke and well, Genji couldn't so she didn't offer. "That's the beginnings of a feasible plan, at least," she admitted, after having taken a deep drag. "In which case, let's say I do accept the recall and the overall command of Overwatch, until I'm ousted at least."

"Not as optimistic as I'd like, but I'll take it," chimed Lena in with a small smile and Angela returned it, whilst taking another shallow drag before continuing.

"Let's say I do that, I think it would be more useful for us all to deal with this matter first."

"I concur, doctor."

After a few minutes of silence, as everyone thought about possible further action, Angela spoke up again.

"If I understand things correctly, we have a few goals we have to achieve before we can fully realize a new Overwatch. We have to secure a new base of operations from which we can act with impunity, we need more members and ideally funding, we have to deal with Talon, God Programs and be able to react to them all the while keeping the various governments away. But before all of that, we have to keep me from going to prison and keep my potentially very dangerous technology safe from greedy and stupid lowlifes, is that about right?"

"Yeah, sounds about right."

"In that case, I should stay here, for the time being." Angela knew Lena would protest so just as she opened her mouth to do so, Angela raised her hand and after making sure Lena would let her talk, she continued. "If I go right now, with you two, they'll realize very fast I'm no longer here and start their process, by which point it will be too late. No, it makes more sense for me to stay here and stall. Make plans, improve the nanobots and generally prepare logistics. I'd even use the old communicator with Winston to talk about some details, I do remember him saying these things were rather secure. Meanwhile, Genji, if you could take McCree and try to locate this Sombra and try to hire her, unless she's a true Talon agent, in which case let her be and return to base. Lena, while they are doing that, I'd ask you to look into potential individuals to recruit. Being our only pilot next to Athena, you could travel to them and extend an invitation."

"Hmm, there are a few promising individuals. That Lucio fella looks solid. And the little Amari of course, Commander Ana's daughter, I mean."

"You can have Winston send their files to me." She paused for a second before remembering a particular fact about said little Amari. "Wait, isn't Fareeha older than you?"

Genji laughed, his mechanic voice a pleasant echo.

"Don't sweat the details, love." She was grinning without shame before her smile faltered and she switched to a more serious topic. "On another note, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with you being alone here, Angie."

"I can take care of myself, Lena. Besides, I can't have you guys lurking around. Your presence would merely lead to my immediate arrest."

"Being on your own isn't really great either. What if someone gets impatient? I remember you being decent with your little pistol, Angie but you weren't exactly a crackshot."

Angela didn't really fear the prospect of dying, she hadn't for quite a while, for good reason, but there was sense to what Lena was saying. She could still be captured and taken by force.

"What are you suggesting?"

"Genji stays with you."

Angela looked at the cyborg in question. "I mean no disrespect but while I remember you being trained in stealth, can you really remain near enough for an extended period of time when they will be looking out for you and the other former Overwatch members? Forgive me for pointing out the obvious, but you aren't really blending in here. The one person less suited for that would be Winston."

"It wouldn't be impossible but I do admit, it would be…challenging. Which is why I have a better alternative. Rather than a previous Overwatch member protecting Dr. Ziegler in secret, we should assign one or two of the new candidates for that. Having never been part of Overwatch, they could interact with her freely, outright accompany her everywhere."

"That's actually a great idea," Lena cheered, "Who did you have in mind?"

"Only one, for now, and that would be my master."

"Your master?" Angela asked, leaning forwards in curiosity. During the time, she had helped healing and rebuilding Genji, she hadn't heard him mention any master, but then again, he hadn't been talkative at all. He had communicated in sullen silences and curt replies. Completely unlike now.

"Zenyatta, he's a monk of the Shambali who has taught me much over the last three years. He has saved me, very much how you saved me, Dr. Ziegler, albeit in a different way. At the danger of sounding overly dramatic, where you saved my body, he saved my soul. I'm now at peace and I have him to thank for it."

Angela smiled at that. "I'm so very happy about that, Genji."

"It's because of that I trust him implicitly. I've told him of your deeds, both of your hand in saving me and saving countless others and he had expressed an interest in meeting you. He will see the righteousness in our case and I've no doubt that he'll help us. He takes no joy in fighting but he's proficient in it. As a spiritual leader and a healer of considerable skill, him coming here to visit you would by no means be considered strange."

"I've to admit, he's unknown to me but I will of course trust your judgment on this."

"How about this, I go and pick him up. You stay here until then. When I'm back with him, we both go and do our thing and those two can talk about whatever." Lena sounded more chipper than she should, in Angela's opinion.

"So soon?"

"We can't exactly waste a lot of time with waiting," Lena replied. She then turned to Genji, "Do you want to record a message or something? Doubt he will simply pack up his stuff and follow me so easily."

"Yes, I will do so immediately, excuse me." With that, he hurried out of the room.

"I'm not sure I'm grateful for your presence, Lena."

"I actually get that a lot," she quipped, flashing a small smile which made Angela roll her eyes.

"I'm serious."

"Yeah, I know. But I'm not. We're a team, Angie. We're at our best when we all work together and I think we forgot that and none of us have been at our best for a while."

"You make it sound so sweet and simple, my dear, but I'm afraid we just had two fundamentally different experiences at out time in Overwatch. You may remember it as a time of unity and teamwork where we all banded together in friendship and comradery for the greater good but for me it was a constant struggle to do the most good without compromising my ideals and that put me against our leadership and even Torbjörn a lot, who saw things very differently than I did."

"So what? It wasn't exactly all roses for me either, if you remember."

Hot guilt flashed through Angela and she averted her eyes. Lena had lurched forward and gripped her arms.

"I'm so sorry, that was a horrible thing to say, love. I'm sorry. I know that wasn't what you meant. We all got injured at one point or another and mine was really just that, if a bit more extra. You're right, you with your big smart brain had different responsibilities than I did and I wasn't in that position. I was really only a pilot and field agent and I got along pretty well with everyone. Well, I think I got on Ana's and Jack's nerves a bit, and Torbjörn did chase me out of his workshop a few dozen times but yeah. Nailed me good with a wrench once…" She trailed off for a bit, trying to collect her thoughts. "What I'm trying to say is, despite any and all issues, I'm sure we can work things out. As much as I hate to say it like this, and I really, really do, but the big three aren't there anymore and you can't tell me you hated old Torb."

Angela rubbed her left eye, still unable to meet Lena's gaze. "Of course I didn't hate him or anyone there. You're just so optimistic about everything and if you think about it, having a leader who doesn't believe in her organization is probably a bad pick."

"Think you'll be just alright once you're back with us and not brooding alone somewhere, trying to heal too many people at once. Overwatch had gotten rather big over the years and too many people left or had assignments in different places.

A melancholic smile was on Angela's face as she gently let her right hand caress Lena's cheek. "My sweet Lena," she whispered, "how I've missed you and your positive outlook on life." With that, she pulled the surprised girl into a fierce embrace. "I think you might be right," Angela whispered in her ear. She didn't need to see the girls face to know that there was a big smile on it, she could almost hear it in her response, when she patted her back.

"Aren't I always, love?"

xxxx

It was around four in the morning when Angela found herself alone in her house with Genji. Lena had departed and had promised to be back within twelve hours, which would be an incredible feat if she managed to pull it off. Then again, she was an outstanding pilot and her aircraft was exceptional as well.

She just hoped the poor dear wouldn't hurry too much and get some sleep and rest.

"Do you require anything to eat and drink?" she asked after a few minutes of silence. She was exhausted but she also knew sleep wouldn't come for her any time soon.

Genji shook his head. "No, thank you, doctor."

"Thank you again for your letter last Christmas. I'm happy that you made peace with your condition and I once again apologize for not doing a better job."

"It's I who must apologize once more, Dr. Ziegler." She could feel Genji's eyes fixating on her through his visor which she knew was giving her all kinds of information on her body language and temperature. "You performed a medical feat that borders on a miracle. I know had I been in the care of anyone else, I would have perished. Thanks to you, I'm still able to live my life to the fullest, if differently than I had thought. It just took me a while to realize that. My behavior back then was ungrateful and inexcusable."

"You're being too hard on yourself, Genji," she said. "It was a very stressful period in your life and you've had every right to feel as you did. Overwatch didn't do right by you, and I did participate in that."

"I came to terms with that as well, but know that I never blamed you for that, doctor."

"You can call me Angela, darling."

He nodded. "Thank you, Angela." He sat down, leaning against the wall. "If you want, you can go back to sleep. I'll keep watch."

"It's not my first sleepless night, I'm very used to them." She slid down the table and leaned against it, facing Genji. "What did you do after leaving Overwatch? Did you find your brother?"

He shook his head. "No, I only met my brother a few days ago. The recall came in a rather interesting time."

Angela perked up, mentally counting the days. "Oh, that's right. It was the anniversary of your…misfortune."

He chuckled. "That is as good as a word as any for it, I suppose. It's also a day where my brother, every year, breaks into the family compound to burn incense to assuage his guilt."

"That sounds…" Angela trailed off, searching for a word that didn't sound belittling or insulting until she settled for, "dramatic."

Genji let out a mechanic noise that might have been a snort. "My brother likes to pretend otherwise but he's a very dramatic soul. He always has been. Very fond of big, unnecessary gestures like that. Very traditional. Father would have been proud."

Angela laughed. "That sounds like a line one would say either to a psychiatrist or a bartender."

"At one point, I should." He paused for a second. "do you mind if I practice that with a friend?"

"Of course, it's most likely better than stewing in silence, thinking about some rather unpleasant things. Do you want something to drink before we start?"

"I think I do."


End file.
